The goal of the wage development program is to make the city more attractive as an employer and to ease recruitment challenges
In the 2022 budget proposal of the city of Helsinki, 5 million euros are allocated to the implementation of the city’s wage development program. The program is used as a basis for the development of recruitment, especially in those professional groups where the city faces wage competitiveness challenges related to the availability of skilled personnel.
The 2022 wage development program will increase the wages of almost 2,600 people, which is the fourth year of implementation of the program. The program is based on an assessment of the need for a salary increase and the availability of skilled labor to meet the employer’s needs. The increases included in the salary development program have been allocated to professional groups based on a needs assessment. The most critical professional groups have been selected in cooperation with the management and personnel administration professionals of the city’s industries, units and municipal enterprises, as well as the city government. A wide variety of stakeholders have been consulted during the preparatory work, including representatives of personnel organizations.
Salary increases for selected education, social and health workers
In order to improve the availability of qualified personnel, the increases in the education department will be allocated to care and education personnel working in early childhood education in certain kindergartens and schools in Helsinki. The kindergartens in question were surveyed and selected either to prevent regional inequality in early childhood education or to solve a particularly difficult recruitment situation. The increases apply to special assistants who meet the statutory eligibility requirements, early childhood nannies, early childhood teachers, special early childhood teachers and kindergarten managers. The increase is granted for two years at a time.
In addition, teachers of special classes who meet the eligibility requirements of the basic education unit receive a salary increase.
In the social and health sector, the increases are aimed at staff working in demanding and specialized child welfare institutions, reception services for children and young people and 24-hour family assessment.
Additions in other professional groups
Salary increases are also targeted at other professional groups. In the culture and leisure industry, the increases are aimed at the youth counselors of youth services, where the improvement of salaries already started in last year’s salary development program.
In addition, raises are granted to service managers and catering managers of the city’s municipal enterprises service center, as well as service coordinators of the city’s financial administration, payroll secretaries and payroll.
The increases will also be allocated to the staff performing various architectural tasks. In the urban environment industry, the wage increases target those working in demanding architectural or similar professional positions in the fields of urban planning, real estate monitoring services, and urban space and landscape planning. In the culture and leisure industry, architects are promoted in facility services and museums. In the education sector and the social and health care sector, the wage increases apply to office space services architect positions.
In addition, the funds of the salary development program are directed to the social and health sector as a lump sum for a separately defined group of doctors for retention purposes.
Cultural and exercise benefit for one year
In addition to the salary increases for critical professional groups mentioned in the 2022 salary development program, the City of Helsinki will offer its personnel a one-time cultural and exercise benefit. This benefit is intended to compensate staff for the inconvenience caused by recent salary payment problems.
The culture and exercise benefit is worth 200 euros and is available to the staff until 1 December 2023. The benefit also aims to improve the general well-being of the staff and maintain the city’s attractiveness and sustainability as an employer.
The salary development program is part of the city’s annual budget process
The city of Helsinki’s long-term wage development program aims to increase the attractiveness of the city as an employer and systematically raise wages, especially in those occupational groups where the city faces wage competitiveness challenges related to the availability of skilled personnel. The city launched the wage development program in 2019 as a systematic and planned way to respond to this challenge.
The Helsinki City Council decides on possible budget allocations for the implementation of the wage development program in the coming years.
HT
Source: City of Helsinki
Source: The Nordic Page